A WAIKERIE general practitioner (GP) reached a major milestone in his career recently, and says his colleagues and the local community have played “a big part” in keeping him here.
Well-known Waikerie Medical Centre GP Dr Ian Gartley last week reached a milestone of 30 years at the centre, serving and living in the Waikerie community.
“Waikerie is a great place to live and work,” he said.
“The Waikerie Medical Centre facilities are very good for a town of this size, and SA Health has always been really good at organising courses to keep rural GPs upskilled.
“Waikerie has an excellent medical centre – the doctors and staff are excellent to work with, and most of them have been here for a long time. I’ve certainly enjoyed working with everyone over the years.”
After graduating university, Dr Gartley decided he wanted to become a rural GP. He served several years in rural Victoria before moving to Alice Springs where he trained as a paediatrician, and married his wife.
Not long after, the couple decided to settle down, and a job in Waikerie arose, which Dr Gartley took following a colleague’s recommendation of the region.
“I had worked with the son of a Waikerie doctor, who extolled the virtues of Waikerie,” Dr Gartley said.
“My wife and I had never visited the area, but I took the job and we moved down here, and never looked back.
“The best way to get involved with a small country town community is by playing sport with and against your patients, getting involved in clubs and committees and making a contribution to the community outside of work.”
After 30 years in medicine, Dr Gartley said he has seen many differences in the field since when he started.
“Things have changed a lot in 30 years,” he said.
“The two biggest advances have been computers and mobile phones – both have made working as a GP so much easier.
“With the computers, we can access and log a lot of information very quickly now.
“Before mobile phones, we carried beepers; whenever it went off, I had to get to a phone, regardless where I was and what time it was, to find out what the issue was.
“There’s also been a big improvement in the range and availability of better medications for illnesses – and computers, again, have made prescribing those medications much easier.”
Besides changes to the field of medicine, Dr Gartley has also worked through medical scares over the years.
“Obviously, the current COVID-19 pandemic is always going to stick with us as an historical time, both in societal and medical changes,” he said.
“The swine flu was another scare that circulated for about seven to eight years.
“It’s been great to see that Waikerie people are adhering to social distancing, and we’ve been very fortunate to have no cases here; but this is far from over, and while restrictions are being eased, we need to stay vigilant.
“It’s complacency that could cause a second wave.”
Fellow Waikerie Medical Centre Dr Ken Wanguhu has worked with Dr Gartley for 19 years, and regards him as a very positive mentor for registrars who work at the centre.
“(Dr Gartley) mentored me when I arrived to Waikerie 19 years ago, and he has played a very big role in my staying here,” Dr Wanguhu said.
“He’s very passionate when it comes to teaching, as well as attracting and retaining possible registrars to the area.
“It’s very special to have GPs stay in an area they’re not originally from for a long time.
“A lot of GPs here don’t have that original connection to the Riverland, but we’ve made it our home. It’s a great community.”
During his 30 years in Waikerie, Dr Gartley has been an active member of the community.
“My wife and my kids went through the Waikerie primary and high schools – which are great school systems,” he said.
“They gave our children all the skills and knowledge they needed to successfully enter the university courses they were after.
“Over the years, I’ve also been an active member in the local swim and cricket clubs, especially when my kids were growing up and getting involved.
“My wife, Barb, has also been an active member of local service clubs like the Rotary Club of Waikerie, Silent Ripples Waikerie branch, and the school governing council.
“I’ve been able to stay here and accomplish what I have thanks to my long-suffering wife’s support.”
While Dr Gartley has hit a milestone any GP would be proud of, he said he still has a few more years left in him.
“I won’t be retiring anytime in the foreseeable future – but maybe in a few years, I’ll start working part-time,” he said.
“When the time comes, I am looking forward to having some free time. My wife and I have an RV that we’d like to take around Australia, plus spending more time in Adelaide with the kids would be great.
“I’m an avid cricketer, so getting along to some games would also be a great way to spend retirement.
“But that’s not for some time; I really enjoy my work, and even in retirement, I wouldn’t leave Waikerie. This is our home.”